


Just That Month Again

by Ot3srock



Category: Shazam! (2019), Shazam! | Captain Marvel (Comics)
Genre: Apparantly Freddy and Rosa don't have a relationship tag???, Autism, Canon Disabled Character, Child Neglect, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Past Abuse, WHAT????, but that's a thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 03:51:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21155168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ot3srock/pseuds/Ot3srock
Summary: A request I've been working on for @Crazy_And_Proud. Angsty Freddy and Billy with Freddy's backstory in there.





	Just That Month Again

**Author's Note:**

> TW: abuse and autistic abuse. Please don't be mad at me; I don't believe anyone should do this.
> 
> Also, there's a hint at Freddy's comic book origin in there. If you know what it is, leave a comment please. Also, just leave a comment in general. I love those.

Freddy Freeman wasn’t quite able to read other people’s emotions very well, but he _ did _ know that if someone was crying in a corner, they were probably sad. Or angered to tears like he sometimes was. Or just plain upset. But he knew for a fact that the crying person was _ not _ fine, like they claimed to be.

“Billy, please tell me what’s wrong,” he begged. Billy just shook his head and sobbed into his knees.

“Nothing’s wrong. I’m fine,” he assured, regaining his composure before bubbling back to tears again. Freddy sighed heavily and sat down next to Billy, which made his left leg protest, so he stretched it out.

“Okay, you and I both know that’s a lie. So talk to me. It’ll help,” he offered. Billy sniffled and wiped his nose with the sleeve of his pajama shirt. Freddy thought he was gonna protest again, but instead, he nodded.

“I just.” He sniffed. “I just don’t understand why she doesn’t want me,” he whispered, not meeting Freddy’s eyes. Freddy sighed heavily again and scooted closer to his friend.

“I know. It sucks, doesn’t it? I still don’t get why she wouldn’t want a beautiful human being like you. You’ve got a great personality and an amazing mind and a kind heart and it’s sad that she can’t see that, because it’s so apparent to everyone around you that you are the kindest, most self-sacrificing person I’ve ever met. Besides Darla, but no one can beat her in that department,” Freddy soothed. Billy smiled at the last part and wiped his tears with his sleeve.

“Thanks, Freddy,” he expressed, standing up. “I guess it’s just that month again.”

“Yeah. We’ve all got our issues.” Freddy made to stand as well and white hot pain shot through his leg. “AH!” he cried out, leg buckling under his weight until he was on his hands and knees. He waited for the pain to subside before he took Billy’s outstretched hand and pulled himself up. “Thanks.”

“Mary, Pedro, Billy, Freddy, Eugene, Darla! Dinner’s ready!” Rosa called. Billy and Freddy headed out of their room and down to the table. Freddy detoured to the kitchen and grabbed a gel pack from the pantry, heating it up in the microwave. Once it was done, he strapped it to his hip and went to sit down at the table. Victor said their usual prayer and the entire family started to eat, but Freddy couldn’t bring himself to do it. He picked at his food, taking little bites whenever Rosa or Victor looked at him.

“Freddy, you okay, son?” Victor asked.

“Hmm? Oh, yeah. Just not feeling very hungry right now,” Freddy replied, looking up. He’d been caught in a daze of the past, reminded of a painful secret.

“Okay. If you don’t want to eat now, you can save it for later,” Victor offered. Freddy nodded and wrapped up his leftovers, putting them in the fridge. He made his way slowly up the stairs, his left leg protesting heavily, even though the heat pack was working. He flopped down onto his bed and just stared at the wooden slats of Billy’s bunk above him. He didn’t know how long he stayed like that, but a knock broke his stupor and he sat up to see Rosa standing in the doorway.

“Hola, mi amor,” she greeted, walking closer. “Is it your leg that’s bothering you or the memory?” She sat down on the bed, conscious of her son’s leg.

“Both, I guess,” Freddy replied, laying back into a lateral position again. “It hurts and when it hurts I just remember why it hurts and I guess I just get sad. I still don’t understand why they did it. Did I deserve it?”

“Oh, Freddy, no. You didn’t deserve what they did to you and you still don’t. Nor will you ever,” Rosa assured. “They shouldn’t have thought that things like that can be physically rewritten.” Freddy nodded and felt tears run slowly down his face.

“I also don’t understand how it hurts sometimes and is numb other times,” he whimpered, wiping the tears away with his fingers.

“I know. It’s confusing to me, too, mi amor,” Rosa told him, reaching up to brush the hair back from his face gently. Freddy sniffled and closed his eyes, thoroughly exhausted.

“I’m tired,” he mumbled after a while.

“Do you want to change into your pajamas?” Rosa asked. Freddy nodded. “Do you think you can do it or do you want me to?” Freddy pointed to his foster mother, eyes cracked just slightly.

“Please.”

“Okay. You took a shower today, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. I’m gonna grab you a new pair of pjs. Do you want your Wonder Woman pjs or your Batman ones?” Rosa questioned.

“Wonder Woman,” Freddy replied. Rosa nodded and grabbed the pajamas from the drawer, bringing them over to the bed.

“Okay, amor. I’m gonna have to take off your pants. Can you unbutton and unzip them yourself?”

“Yeah.” Freddy did as he was asked and Rosa slid his pants off, replacing them with the dark blue pajama pants.

“Okay, sit up for just a minute so I can change your shirt.” Freddy did and Rosa made quick work of replacing his shirt and letting him flop back down onto his pillow.

“Thank you,” he mumbled.

“Buenas noches, mi amor.” Rosa tucked Freddy in under his covers and kissed his forehead. She left, closing the door gently behind her.

***

When Freddy woke the next morning, he couldn’t move his leg at all without piercing pain shooting through it. He groaned as hot tears streamed down his face. There was no way he was going to get through the day like he normally did when his leg hurt.

“Boys, time to wake up,” Victor spoke to the room. Freddy sobbed loudly. “Freddy, you okay, son?” Victor’s voice was so concerned and Freddy was in so much pain that he burst into tears, holding his arms out to be held. Victor complied, rushing to his foster son and cradling the boy to his chest. Billy silently excused himself to get ready. Freddy cried, holding onto Victor tightly as the man gently smoothed one hand over Freddy’s curly brown hair.

“It hurts so badly,” he whimpered, pulling back to wipe his tears.

“I know, son. I know,” Victor soothed. “Do you wanna stay home?”

“Can’t,” Freddy replied, almost crying again when he realized he had school still. “I have a test today and the teacher doesn’t accept makeups without a two paragraph description of why you’re gonna be gone turned in a week in advance.”

“Okay. You wanna get ready?” Victor asked. Freddy nodded.

“Can you help me?”

“Sure, son. What do you wanna wear today?” Victor stood up and walked to the dresser, opening the drawer for Freddy’s “day clothes”.

“I don’t wanna wear jeans. Can I wear sweatpants instead? And my Superman shirt?” Freddy inquired, moving to sit up. Victor nodded and grabbed out the shirt and matching sweatpants. He brought them over to the bed and Freddy pulled off the covers and moved to push his pj pants down his legs so his foster father could slide them off. Then he lifted his arms and let Victor replace his pj shirt with the Superman one.

“I’ll grab your wheelchair, okay?” Victor told him. Freddy nodded and smiled.

“Thank you.” In response, Victor just ruffled Freddy’s hair and left, coming back with Freddy’s wheelchair, which hadn’t been used in over a year. Freddy shifted to the edge of the bed and slid into his chair. Victor put on his socks(Superman to match the theme) and shoes and pushed him to the bathroom, helping him brush his teeth and get ready for the day. At the stairs, he enlisted the help of Billy, who had been waiting outside the room to grab his bag for school.

“Billy, can you carry Freddy’s wheelchair down the stairs?” he asked. Billy nodded.

“Sure thing,” he agreed. Victor picked up Freddy and brought him down the stairs, Billy close behind. Once the chair was on the ground Victor placed Freddy in it again.

“Thanks, Billy,” Freddy expressed, looking gratefully at the boy.

“Thanks, son.” Victor ruffled Billy’s hair fondly and the boy blushed, looking down.

“No problem.”

***

When they got to school, Billy pushed Freddy’s wheelchair, seeing as they had most of the same classes. They ate lunch alone, per usual, but Billy noticed more people whispering and pointing at them. He heard some of them telling the younger students that Freddy had been in a car accident and others say he’d fallen off a horse or out of a boat when he was younger. One person Billy heard said that Freddy had been abused by a previous foster family. He gasped at that one and Freddy looked over.

“They’re right,” he spoke, continuing when Billy frowned. “About what happened. One of my foster families hit me whenever I did something they deemed ‘wrong’, which included talking too much or rambling about superheroes or not eating a food because it felt weird or having a meltdown because it was too loud in a room.”

“But.” Billy paused, searched for the words. “Those are all just autism, right?”

“Yep. They wanted a ‘normal child’, and they thought they could make me ‘normal’ but turning me off from those things. They thought I was ‘trained’ to exhibit those types of behaviors and so they figured they could ‘recondition’ me like Pavlov, or something.”

“That’s awful! They can’t just do that!” Billy exclaimed, attracting the full attention of the people at the surrounding tables. Freddy put a hand on his arm, calming him down.

“Billy, relax. They didn’t get away with it. They got their rights to foster taken away indefinitely and are serving 10 years each in prison.”

“That’s it?”

“It’s good enough for me. Look, I don’t care about it anymore. It’s off my conscience because I forgave them years ago. I haven’t forgotten, but it’s not burdening me anymore,” Freddy soothed, rubbing his hand along Billy’s arm. Billy slowed his breathing, Freddy’s words and actions calming him.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “It just doesn’t make any sense.”

“I know it doesn’t make any sense what they did, but it happened and now I have to deal with the consequences of their actions. Makes no sense getting angry about it. I learned to roll with the punches. Sometimes literally,” Freddy joked, hoping to cheer his friend up. Billy nodded, smiling slightly. “Anyway, eat your food.”

***

When they got home, Rosa was waiting for them with a blanket fort set up in the family room. Billy wheeled Freddy’s chair as close as possible and Freddy slid out of the chair and onto one of the sections of pillows, pulling a blanket over himself. The other kids went to change into comfortable clothes.

“Thank you,” Freddy spoke, looking to Rosa.

“Hey, it’s a tradition to make a blanket fort when one of our kids isn’t feeling well. It’s no different for you, mi amor,” she replied, placing a kiss to his hair. Freddy smiled. He really loved his family.

**Author's Note:**

> If you want a fic, I can write one.


End file.
